Across the Academy – March 19, 2014

Across the Academy highlights the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and its clubs and players, as well as alumni and Youth National Team activity. Across the Academy will be available for the duration of the 2013-14 season.

ACADEMYMar 19, 2014

ACADEMY/YNT SPOTLIGHT:2013-14 Academy Postseason Features New Format:
The Development Academy’s 2013-14 postseason will include an
elimination format for its Under-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups. The postseason will consist of a knockout round, followed by the semifinals and final to be held July 17 and 19, respectively, at U.S. Soccer’s National
Training Center in Carson, Calif. The Academy Playoffs, which maintain the same format as previous seasons, will be held June 23-27 at Grand Park in
Westfield, Ind., near Indianapolis.

Opportunity Knocks: De Anza Force’s Jonathan Navarro:
De Anza Force forward Jonathan Navarro, a former member of the U.S. U-17 Residency Program, spoke with ussoccer.com for its Opportunity Knocks series about his recent time in the Academy. Navarro credits U-15/16 head coach Shaun Tsakaris
for pushing his game both mentally and physically.

Opportunity Knocks: Players Development Academy’s Josh Burnett:
Players Development Academy center midfielder Josh Burnett caught up with U.S. Soccer to reflect on his time with
the New Jersey-based club. Burnett says PDA has helped improve his defensive game and has created a competitive training environment while playing up with
the U-15/16 age group.

Share your Academy news, comments, photos, links and more using the #OpportunityKnocks hashtag.

ACADEMY QUICK HITS (Weekend of March 15-16):

West Conference:
Seattle Sounders FC’s U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams each came away with one-goal victories against Crossfire Premier in Northwest Division action on
Saturday at the Starfire Sports Complex. Cody Crook tallied the game-winning goal in the 90th minute to lift the Sounders U-17/18s to a 3-2 victory.
Seattle has won six straight and sits in second place in the division at 11-3-4 and 2.06 points per game. The first-place Seattle Sounders U-15/16
squad (12-3-3, 2.17 points per game) topped Crossfire Premier 1-0, with Victor Mansaray’s 51st-minute tally holding up for the win.

Central Conference:
Solar Chelsea SC swept Texans SC Houston in Central Conference play Saturday. The Solar Chelsea U-15/16s surrendered an early goal but responded with
tallies from Nicholas Blessing (34th minute) and Garrett Garwood (70th minute) for a 2-1 victory to move to 8-6-4 (1.54 points per game). At the older
age group, Blake Stricker and Alan Winn each scored a goal in the opening 10 minutes of the U-17/18 team’s 2-0 victory.

East Conference:
The New England Revolution U-17/18s, playing in their first match since an Academy Winter Showcase matchup against the U.S. U-17s, earned a 4-2 victory
against the Montreal Impact on Sunday in Northeast Division action in Foxborough, Mass. The Revs rallied from a 2-1 deficit with Daniel Apajee’s second
goal in the 54th minute serving as the game-winner. Christian Sady added an insurance goal in the 80th minute as the Revolution improved to 5-5-2 and
1.42 points per game. The Revolution U-15/16s edged Montreal 2-1 with Daniel Jones scoring both goals for New England (5-5-3, 1.38 points per game).

Academy Honors:

Player of the Week:
Midfielder Kyle Gurrieri of NJSA 04’s U-15/16 team scored what proved to be the game-winner with his ninth-minute goal to lead NJSA to a 2-1 victory
against a strong Players Development Academy side on March 8.

Referee of the Week:
Ramy Touchan, a 28-year-old Grade 4 referee from Arizona, was named Academy Referee of the Week for his work during the U-17/18 match between Chivas
USA and host Real Salt Lake AZ on March 8. Touchan is a former Referee of the Week during the 2010-11 season. In addition to his five-plus years
working Academy matches, Touchan’s background also includes games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, USL PRO, MLS preseason and PDL.

For all Development Academy results, visit academy.demosphere.com or click on the following links:

ON USSOCCER.COM:Bruin Leads Dynamo Again:
St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri product Will Bruin scored his third goal in two games to lead the Houston
Dynamo to its second victory on Saturday in Major League Soccer action. Elsewhere, Colorado Rush alum Kekuta Manneh scored a clutch game-tying goal during
the Vancouver Whitecaps’ 1-1 road draw against Chivas USA on Sunday.

U.S. U-14 and U-15 BNT March Camps Set for NTC:
The U.S. U-14 and U-15 Boys’ National Teams will be holding simultaneous camps from March 22-30 at U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center in Carson, Calif.
The U-15 BNT group, headed by Hugo Perez, features 24 players among
the 32 who are registered with Development Academy clubs. U-14 BNT head coach Tony Lepore named a 32-player roster for this
age group’s third camp in the current cycle, with a roster that includes 21 players currently registered with Academy clubs.

U.S. U-17 MNT Wraps Up Pacific NW Tour:
The U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team completed a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest. The USA went unbeaten in its first two matches, posting a scoreless draw
against Seattle Sounders FC’s joint U-17/18 Academy and MLS Reserves team on March 10, followed by a 3-2 victory against the University of Portland.
Lonestar SC’s McKinze Gaines supplied the offense with all three goals against Portland. On Monday, March 17, the U-17s capped off the trip with a
hard-fought 3-2 loss to the Portland Timbers Reserves. Haji Wright out of the LA Galaxy Academy provided a goal and assisted a Gaines tally.

Development Academy Regular Season:
The March 21-23 weekend includes the busiest slate of games for the 2014 portion of the schedule to date. A total of 118 matches are scheduled, with a
combined 74 games at the U-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups and 44 fixtures at the U-13/14 level.

My name is Brad Smith and I am the official photographer of the U.S. Women's National Team. I joined the WNT as a full-time staff member back in March of 2015 and it has been an incredible experience so far. For this year in review, the choices I made are subjective and personal. They include on-and-off the field moments, and capture the emotions and experiences that players and fans alike navigated in 2017. Some are also just cool photos, but I'm also probably a little bit biased. I hope you enjoy my picks, and I’ll see you all (more than likely through my lenses) in 2018!

- Brad Smith, U.S. WNT Photographer

January 2017

"Does it rain much in Los Angeles? No, but the team seemed to have no trouble finding it there last January Camp."

February 2017

"I’m always on the lookout for something different. Gym sessions are just that. Then when you add some soft window light to a shadow boxing Ashlyn Harris, you get something special."

March 2017

"When you practice at a college campus, word travels fast. During training at the University of Maryland,
a deserted pitch soon became a surrounded stadium."

April 2017

"Winners on the field, winners off the field. While the team was in Frisco, we made a special visit to a local hospital. Rose Lavelle even got a dance lesson."

April 2017

"One of my favorite action photos of the year because it’s such a story-telling image. Not only does it have fantastic action, but as you look over Allie Long to the right you realize the ball is going in for a goal over the keeper. "

One of my favorite action photos of the year because it’s such a story-telling image.

Not only does it have fantastic action, but as you look over Allie Long to the right you realize the ball is going in for a goal over the keeper.

One of my favorite action photos of the year because it’s such a story-telling image.

Not only does it have fantastic action, but as you look over Allie Long to the right you realize the ball is going in for a goal over the keeper.